Summary of The Poem Leisure by William Davies

Ramji Acharya

Jan 30, 2022

Summary of the LEISURE

Main Summary of Leisure

‘Leisure’ by William Henry Davies highlights the importance of leisure in one’s life and how the hectic modern life has alienated one from nature. In this poem, Davies talks about the importance of being close to nature. The poem begins with some examples of what one can do to exhale the stress out of one’s body. If one only cares about the body forgetting about how beautiful and soothing nature is, it will lead that person to spiritual poverty.

The poem leisure by William Davies is a satiric poem on a modern man. In the poem, Leisure, the poet, William Davies, tells us about the hectic routines of our daily life. He says that we have no time to stand and stare at the beauty of nature. In the first two lines, the poet asks a question about life that looks full of care though we have no time to see the beauty of nature. In the last stanza poet answers this question.

In the second stanza, the poet further explains his point of view that even we have no time to stand under the beautiful green branches of trees. He wants to realize us how these trees are beautiful but we spare no moments to look at their beauty. Poet says that animals like cows and sheep are better than us who have time to enjoy the beauty of green trees.

In the third stanza, the poet says that when we pass through tall trees, we do not spare some moments to stop and look at their beauty. These dark and tall trees provide beautiful scenery where squirrels or other small animals play and hide their food in the grass for the winter season. He again wants to realize that we are always in a hurry and miss enjoying these scenes of natural beauty.

In the fourth stanza, William Davies depicts beautiful imagery that at day time when rays of the sun fall upon the water of streams and river and their reflection looks like stars in the sky at night. But our busy routines are hurdles to enjoying such beautiful scenes and we miss them.

In the fifth stanza, the poet personifies beauty as a beautiful young girl dancing with a smiling face. He again realizes that the busy routines of human being deprived them to see the beauty of nature. When beauty is dancing, we cannot see her feet because of her busy life.

In the sixth stanza, the poet extends his point of view that beauty is scattered all around us but we can’t see it. As he personifies it as a beautiful girl; he says that we can’t see her smiling face. But we have no time to stand and stare at nature that can refresh us.

In the last stanza, poets take pity on human beings that what a life full of care! He says that if we have no time to enjoy nature; we are living a poor life. As human beings, we should spare some time to look at natural beauty spread all around us to enjoy life. He answers his question that it is a poor life without time to enjoy the natural beauty.

Critical Appreciation of the Poem LEISURE

In the poem Leisure, William Davies criticize human beings of modern world for their busy life that made them busy enough that they have no time to enjoy beauty of nature. The poet opens his poem by a question that is this life is full of care? And at the end he answers his question after analyzing human beings life and named that life a “poor life” if we have no time to enjoy nature.

He satirizes human beings and prefers animals that have time to see natural beauty. He say that we are enough busy that we cannot enjoy the beautiful scenery of nature. He provides beautiful imagery of the reflection of sun rays over a stream and but we have lost our happiness and peace of mind. We remain busy in worldly pursuits and miss the delights of the natural world.

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In last lines, William Davies satirizes modern men life and says it is a poor life if we have no time to entertain ourselves by nature. He summarizes the poem by saying that our life is full of hardships and worries.

Use of Personification in the Poem:

A personification is a tool of figurative language where an inanimate object or an abstract idea is attributed to traits of living beings. William Davies beautifully personifies beauty as a beautiful dancing girl with a smile on her face. Here natural beauty is attributed with living beings’ traits like dancing, smiling and having feet. The use of personification in the poem increases its beauty and creates interest for readers.

The tone of the Poet

The tone of the poet in the poem LEISURE is satirical. The poet satirizes human beings and prefers animals to those who have time to enjoy nature. The diction is very simple and quite appropriate to the subject matter of the poem.

Final Summary

In this poem, ‘Leisure’, the poet William Davies is telling us about our hectic life. We have no time to admire the nature around us. Even we cannot spare a few moments to stand under the branches of green trees and enjoy the beautiful and restful shades of the trees. The common animals like sheep and cows are better than us in enjoying life. We cannot look at them grazing in the pastures. When we pass through some forests, we do not have time to stop for some moments to look at the trees-tall and short and enjoy their natural beauty. The dark green trees provide a soothing effect but we are always sick-hurried and cannot enjoy at least the simple beauty. Also we cannot look at the small animals like squirrels concealing their food-grain in the grass for the winter. During day time, when the rays of the sun fall upon the clear water of the rivers, the water reflects and shines like stars in the sky during night. But busy people do not have time to see this. The natural beauty scattered all around us. Natural beauty is personified as a young beautiful dancing girl having a smiling face. But we have no time to stand at a place and look carefully at nature that can refresh us. As human beings, we should spare some moments and look at nature and natural beauty spread around us and enjoy life.